One half of 🦩Matech Comp?tition's two-pronged GT1 class assault on the 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours found its practice session swiftly and somewhat brutally curtailed when ex-F1 star Romain Grosjean caused heavy damage to his Ford GT with an accident on the entry to the Porsche Curves.

The Swiss-born Frenchman is making his debut at La Sarthe this year, and he rapidly found out that the 13.6km circuit can be a cruel and �ꦏ�unforgiving mistress.

"There is a bump there and the car went up in the air," he told wuqian0821.com. "The rear whཧeels locked and I spun and crashed. It was a big impact. I had only done two laps, but everything was fine up to that point. We still have to learn a lot and we still need to improve the set-up; it's the first time for the team here, and it's completely different to what we're used to."

Confident the car could be fixed in time for this evening's first qualifying session - and, by all accounts, the only one of the three that looks likely to be dry - the 24-year-old added that🌼 he is in his element in his new sportscar career, having seen his time in F1 ended or at the v♈ery least stalled when he was released by Renault at the end of last year.

"It's a lot o✱f fun, and I enjoy being close to the fans," he enthused. "This circuit is really amazing, and the whole atmosphere is like a big party!"